Ottawa-area flooding caused $223M in insurable damages: industry

The Insurance Bureau of Canada has placed a price tag on some of the damage caused by a pair of storms that hit eastern Ontario and southwestern Quebec this spring.

The industry association said Friday that the heavy rainfall combined with melting snow between April 5-7 and May 5-7 resulted in more than $223 million in insured damage.

The actual figure is likely much, much higher as most homeowners are not covered by so-called overland flood insurance.

“While the insured damage from the spring floods is significant, the total cost to homeowners and government is not yet known," said Craig Stewart, vice-president of federal affairs at the insurance bureau, in a statement.

More than a metre of rain fell on the region during the first week of May, drenching an area already saturated with melting snow. The spring flooding forced the closure of office buildings in Gatineau and forced the evacuation of nearly 850 people across the National Capital Region.